I noticed my sunbird wasn't firing on a cylinder, i tested the spark plug
wire and the coil pack and the voltage was fine. Upon removing the spark plug, i found unburned fuel and metal chips stuck to the tip.
I want to know if the metal chips mean i have engine/head damage, and is it
worthwhile to repair or replace the engine? btw, the car cost me $1,700 in 2003 and i've spent 300$ on repairs since....

Do a compression test on that cylinder....that will tell you a lot. And if you only paid $1,700 for the vehicle, a problem like this could mean it is time to get something else and scrap this one. Unless you can do the majority of the work yourself.

Agree with Mike. If you only paid $1700 and got 3 years of use out of it then you came out ahead.